Long Gone
by WritingOnMyWall
Summary: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ DEATHLY HALLOWS, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ THIS!   What would have happened if Ron had left on the trio's hunt for the horcruxes...and never come back? Will Harry and Hermione find a connection deeper than they thought possible? HHR
1. Gone for Good?

This is going to be my first attempt at a somewhat serious fic. It won't be tragic, it won't even be that dramatic. But the romance will not be the fluffy humorous kind that I have done in the past. I will probably screw this story completely up, but I just HAVE to try.

As a warning to anyone who reads this, it is based off of a chapter from Deathly Hallows. If you have not read Deathly Hallows, then I would suggest that you don't read this story. It doesn't give away any of the ending, but it does give away a plot point from the seventh book that some people may not have read.

For the purpose of pairing Harry and Hermione…which I will always do…Ron's personality has been slightly altered, as well as Harry and Hermione's. Being as this is completely fictional, I'm assuming nobody will protest too much.

This story is based on the chapter where Ron leaves the Horcrux hunt. What would have happened if he had never come back?

And so with that…here we go…

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Harry Potter stood at the entrance to the tent, staring out into the bleak surroundings, watching his supposed best friend stalk off into the darkness. Ron Weasley stomped past the protective spells, soon vanishing into thin air with a Pop Harry's fist tightened on his wand, as though his wand could possibly save him from this depressing situation. He heard a whimper from behind him, and somewhere in the recesses of his brain, he knew it was Hermione. He didn't turn around though, as he continued to stare at the spot where Ron had just disappeared, nothing else persuading his mind from the utterly awful situation he was now faced with. A surge of anger coursed through his veins, his entire being soon consumed with so much rage that he lifted his clenched fists and banged them into the tent walls.

Another sob was issued out from behind him. This time, filled with more sorrow, more longing, and more pain than he had ever heard. The anger that had just been overtaking him vanished within a second and in it's place came the icy cold feeling of dread. He whirled around and came face to face with his worst fear. Hermione Granger sat curled up in a ratty chair, tears streaming down her face, sobs wracking her thin body, her wand lay discarded on the table next to her.

Harry felt his heart ache at seeing his best friend in such despair. She almost never showed these types of emotions. He knew that Hermione and Ron had always had a very…odd type of relationship. Obviously it had meant more to Hermione than it had to Ron. Or else Ron would still be here. With them, side by side fighting to save the world. But no. Ron was gone.

Harry slowly made his way over to the shaking form on the chair, and magically expanded the chair a bit to make enough room for him to fit in next to her. He quietly slid in next to her and without a word spoken between the two of them, they fell into each other's arms. Hermione continued to cry, but this time her sobs were muffled in Harry's t-shirt, her small arms hugging him so tightly he thought that at any other time, he would have probably pulled away, nervous of Ron seeing them so close together. Even thinking about Ron made Harry that much more angry. He hugged Hermione tighter to him, desperate to make her stop crying, desperate to make her stop feeling so much pain.

Finally, Hermione's sobs died down and she lifted her tear stained face upwards, eager to meet Harry's eyes, eager to meet the confident Harry that she had just seen waver. She needed to know that she was going to be taken care of she needed to know that she would be safe. When green eyes met brown, Hermione instantly settled down. Harry's strong arms encircled her, holding her tighter than he ever had before and his mouth was set in a firm line, sure to be the only outward sign of the anger he was feeling. But his eyes…his big green eyes were soft, filled with concern that Hermione knew was directed towards her.

"Harry," Hermione began, her voice cracking despite her effort to control her emotions, "do you think he's really gone?"

Harry closed his eyes briefly before responding in one word, "Yes."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The duo sat in the chair somewhat squished together for what could have been minutes, hours, or even days. They didn't want to leave the warmth their bodies provided for each other, or the comfort that just being that close held for both of them. Every so often Hermione would ask another question that she already knew the answer too, which Harry would dutifully answer, because he knew it calmed her down to hear him in control.

"Harry," Hermione whispered this time, "Why did Ron leave?"

Harry thought she sounded just like a little girl, asking an innocent question, except this question was filled with so much baggage that he did not even know how to approach it. In an effort to stay strong, he attempted to answer.

"I'm not sure Mione. He was mad at me for yelling at him about being a baby."

Hermione sighed. "That's not it Harry."

Harry knew that wasn't why Ron had left. Sure, calling him a baby could not have helped the situation, but Harry knew that for weeks Ron had been close to leaving. "Well…I think that possibly he was upset…over the fact that…" Harry started but was quickly interrupted.

"Over the fact that I shared more with you than with him." Hermione answered in a dull voice.

Harry sat up a little straighter. "I don't know-"

"Yes Harry. He was always a bit jealous I think."

"Hermione I don't think that was the reason…"

Hermione stared up at Harry, her tears dry, now a stiff resolute look in her eyes. She stared deep into Harry's eyes, seeming to almost be able to read his mind. He gave her a quick squeeze, "Okay okay…you're right."

Hermione gave a small nod, a smile almost gracing her face. Almost, but not quite. "I think that he'll come back."

Harry knew she was only kidding herself. "No Hermione. No, he won't."

He could feel her stiffen in his arms. She stared up at him stubbornly. "Why not?"

Harry heaved a deep sigh before grabbing one of Hermione's hands. "Because his heart was never really in this Mione. Maybe he started off with the right intentions, and maybe he still does have them, but somewhere along the line he lost the fight. He lost the heart to keep going. Every time we got up to move onto a new location, you could just tell he would have given anything to just go home. Finding the first Horcrux was great and everything, but once the excitement wore off, the Ron we thought we knew sort of wore off too. I don't think he really knew what he was getting himself into."

Hermione stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "No Harry. He cared too much. He cared too much for you, and for the world, and for…_me._" She added the last word on at the end in a whisper.

Harry let out a frustrated groan. "Hermione, don't make it personal."

Hermione sat up quickly, jumping away from Harry as though his touch had burned her. "Don't tell me I'm making it personal Harry Potter. This whole thing is personal! It has been from the very beginning. Don't think that we went into this without emotions! Harry…the reason Ron and I followed you all this time was because we care too much about you to let you go alone. It's not just about saving the world…it's about saving YOU."

Harry crossed his arms across his chest and glared at the witch next to him. "It shouldn't BE about saving me Hermione. It should be about killing the most evil wizard in the world. If you can't see that, what are you even doing here?"

Hermione's cheeks turned pink with rage. "Maybe Ron was right when he left. He just saw it all before I did."

Harry's stomach dropped, as his heart sank and landed with a thud. He had never expected this. He had always thought that Ron would be the one to give up. But Hermione? He had thought so much more of her…so much more of their friendship.

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth almost instantly. "Oh Harry I'm so sorry…I didn't mean that…"

Harry stood up quickly; cutting all the physical contact they had had off as he strode across the tent to the opening flaps. Before he stepped outside, he turned back to face Hermione, "If Ron was so smart, why don't you just leave. Be just like him. Go ahead. I really couldn't care less."

And with that, he strode out of the tent to go sit somewhere far, far away from Hermione. As he sat down on a log as far away from the tent as he could go, but still within the protective charms, he buried his head in his hands as he tried to make the tears that were threatening to spill, stop from coming. He was alone. Completely alone.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione sat in shock in the small tent. For once in her life, she was rendered speechless. She could not even think of a smart solution to the problem. All she was filled with was resentment. Resentment towards Ron, resentment towards Voldemort, and now resentment towards Harry.

How dare he assume that she wanted to leave? Sure, she had said something she hadn't meant to, but she had apologized. She had been through so much with Harry. She didn't want this to be the end.

Hermione sat in silence, waiting for a long time, wanting to make sure Harry would be coming back in to go to bed. She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't want to try until he was ready. Whenever he came back inside she would explain to him that what she had said was wrong…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry sat in the cold for a long time. He contemplated all angles of his situation. He wouldn't be surprised if he walked back into the tent and Hermione was gone. He had been quite harsh with her. He knew she hadn't meant to say all those hurtful things…but he just couldn't quite get over the fact that she HAD said them.

He sat in the cold awhile longer, before realizing that he had to go back inside sometime. Slowly he stood up and headed back towards the tent, intent on apologizing to Hermione…that is, if she was still there…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione woke up with a start. Her neck ached and her back was sore from the angle she had fallen asleep in. She looked around her, and realized with relief that Harry was on his cot, under the covers. She looked down and saw that she was still on the ratty old chair. She got up and moved quietly towards her own cot across the tent. As she lay on her side, she realized that she didn't hear the deep breathing sounds Harry usually made when he was asleep. She knew he was awake.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry lay on his side, his back towards Hermione. He had heard her get up from the chair and slip into her bed. He had missed his chance to apologize. But there was always morning. It didn't look like she was going anywhere.

He closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep. His eyes opened quickly though as he felt a draft of cold air as his blankets were lifted up, and then warmth as he felt a pair of feminine legs press into his from behind. He turned quickly, and came nose to nose with Hermione.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her lips so close to his, he could fell a little puff of breath as he spoke.

Harry shook his head slowly.

Hermione took this, as a bad sign as she hurried to explain, "No let me explain Harry I didn't mean to say those things. I want to be here. I need to be here. I could never leave you."

Harry smiled softly. "I know Hermione."

Hermione was about to go on rambling but stopped short. "You KNOW?"

Harry chuckled softly. "I'm the one who should be sorry Hermione. I know you want to be here. And to tell you the truth…I need you to stay."

Hermione shifted closer to him, which was hard to do, considering they were already pressed together. "No you don't Harry. You're so much more powerful than any one."

Harry wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist, needing to feel her closeness. "Mione, I need you."

Hermione stopped talking at the finality of his tone. "Um…okay…" she stuttered, "Then I'll stay."

Harry smiled. "Good. For a second today when you were crying I thought I had lost the Hermione I know and love."

Hermione blushed and buried her head in his chest. "Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For crying like such a little girl."

"Well, it's understandable. Ron just walked out like that. I know how close you guys were."

Hermione snorted, and Harry looked down at her in surprise. "We were not that close, Harry."

"But I always though you and Ron had something going on…"

Hermione snorted again. "Well, Ron always had something going on with me in his imagination. I've told him time and time again that I wasn't…interested in him like that. But he continued to think that I was denying my feelings for him."

"Well, you two always argued all the time…and I just assumed…"

"It's okay Harry," Hermione reassured, "A lot of people always assumed that."

"Well then why were you crying?"

Hermione hesitated before answering, "Because of you."

Harry's eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. "I made you cry?"

Hermione shifted her eyes up to meet Harry's surprised ones. "When I saw Ron leave, I wasn't upset because he was gone. I was upset when I thought about how his leaving would affect you. When you hit the tent walls, I could just see how angry you were. I thought that you had lost all of your control."

Harry closed his eyes briefly, taking in what Hermione had just told him. He opened them only to find that Hermione had moved so that she was looking directly into his eyes. He took a deep breath before answering. "Hermione, as long as you are here, I won't lose my control. I promise."

Hermione nodded. "So that's why you need me."

Harry shrugged. "That's part of it."

"What's the other part?"

Harry looked at her thoughtfully. "I've haven't figured that out yet. Whenever I think about going at this alone, I start to cry. Don't really know why. But when I remember that you're here, I don't feel like crying anymore. I was mad that Ron left, yes. But I didn't feel half of the emotions that I felt while I was waiting around to see if you were going to leave."

Hermione's eyes had misted up while Harry had been talking, but they finally spilled over when she realized he had been waiting for her to leave. She wrapped her arms around the young man lying next to her, and buried her head in between his neck and his shoulder. "Harry, I promise you, I will NEVER leave you."

Harry sucked in a shaky breath before hugging Hermione back with just as much force. "Good…"

They fell asleep locked in their tight embrace, tears leaking out of both of theirs closed eyelids. But they both felt contentment in the connection they had both just made with each other. They knew that if anyone tried to separate them now, it would be a hard feat to master.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Well there you go!

Sorry for any grammatical mistakes.

I'm going to try to write a few more chapters. But it definitely won't be a very long story. Maybe three or four more chapters.

Read and review as you like!


	2. Happiness Makes It's Return

I got a lot more hits on this story than I thought I would. Those of you who reviewed, thank you so much! I had hoped that people were craving this just as much as me, and I'm glad to see that I have hoped right! I will definitely try to keep up with this story, and not let my writers block that always seems inevitable, get to me. I owe it to H/HR fans!!!

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry woke with the smell of strawberry overtaking his senses. He breathed in slowly, not wanting the sweet smell to disappear. Something tickled his nose and he cracked open an eye to peer into the darkness. All he could see were the light brown curls that were surrounding his face.

_Hermione._

As the rest of his senses connected with his mind, he remembered how they had fallen asleep after their emotionally charged conversation. Hermione was still wrapped up in his arms, except they had shifted so that she was partially on top of him, their legs entwined, her torso on top of his.

Harry hated to admit it, but he was the most comfortable he had been in a long time. When Ron had been around, he always kept his touching of Hermione to a minimum. He could always tell when Ron would start to get jealous, and out of mutual friendliness, Harry would always back away. Even the slightest hug would make Ron narrow his eyes, or go sulk in the corner of the tent.

Harry was beginning to realize he and Hermione had been living with a tyrant.

Well, as much as he hated it that Ron had abandoned them, he couldn't help but have a part of him cheer in excitement. He and Hermione had always been a touchy twosome. It wasn't like they planned the casual caresses or light touches that always seemed to happen when they were around each other. In fact, before Ron had become obsessive towards her, Hermione seemed to gravitate to Harry whenever they were around each other. If anything, with Ron being gone, they could bring back that connection that had always been between them.

The way she was breathing on his neck made him slightly uncomfortable as he imagined what they would look like to a passerby. He smiled as he realized there would be no passerby's too see them, considering they were in the middle of a forest. As thoughts about the forest they were in passed through Harry's mind, one important thing stuck out to him.

"Oh hell," Harry muttered as he tried to disentangle himself from Hermione. As much as he had enjoyed the mid-night cuddle, he had forgotten one major thing.

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, and stretched, completely oblivious to Harry being under her. Harry closed his eyes as he witnessed a view of Hermione's abdomen, the sight making his heart rate increase slightly. This reaction worried him slightly, but not as much as the other thing nagging at him. Hermione finally realized that she wasn't alone, and she looked back at Harry who was rushing to get out from under the blankets.

"Good morning?"

Harry nodded brusquely. "Hermione, we slept in here together."

"Yes…"

"Which means that nobody was outside taking turns on the lookout."

Hermione's eyes widened. "I didn't even think about that."

Harry jumped up and threw on a sweater as he walked outside. "We're probably surrounded by Death Eaters by now…" he muttered under his breath as he stalked outside.

Hermione stared after him, somewhat glum at the prospect of everything going back to normal. She had really thought that last night something had clicked between them. She had thought that things could go back to normal…before Ron. With a shrug to nobody, she got up and began to hurry around getting ready. Figuring they were going to be on the move soon, she packed up as much as she could and placed it in the beaded bag she had taken to carrying.

She walked out of the tent, wand in hand, ready to disassemble the tent. Before she could get to it, she spotted Harry pacing back and forth around the tent, every so often strengthening the protective charms. She shook her head and made her way toward him.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry was cursing himself under his breath, when suddenly he realized he wasn't alone. Hermione stood a few feet away from him, arms crossed, foot tapping, and a very Hermione-esque face gracing her features.

"Harry James Potter what are you doing?"

He wanted to shrink back at the voice she used, but mustered up all the courage he could before answering coolly, "I'm protecting you. Us."

Hermione shook her head. "You are utterly ridiculous. I already put charms in place last night. We're fine. You're too paranoid."

Harry glared back at her. "I'm not too paranoid. Can you imagine if I had walked outside today and Death Eaters had been surrounding the tent? No, Hermione. I'm not paranoid. I'm just realistic. We are supposed to have constant vigilance."

Hermione snorted. "Okay Mad-Eye."

Harry rolled his eyes. "As paranoid as he was, he was right. Last night we slipped up, and I can't let it happen again."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Okay. Fine. But let the charms go for right now. We're safe."

Harry hesitated before finally nodding, and following her back to the tent. He suddenly felt bad for his outburst. He WAS paranoid. But he couldn't help it. He jogged up to Hermione and fell into step with her. He quickly slipped his hand into hers, squeezing it lightly. Hermione glanced at him sideways, a small smile the acceptance of his silent apology. "You know," she started, "We really have to stop jumping down each other's throats all the time."

Harry nodded. "I know."

Hermione gave him a long look, before quickly turning her attention to the tent. "Well…where are we off too next?"

Harry sighed. He really had no idea. He voiced these opinions to Hermione and she nodded in agreement. They both stared at the dilapidated tent, suddenly at a loss as to what to do. Suddenly, Harry looked over to Hermione.

"Godric's Hollow."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

With two distinct pops, Harry and Hermione landed in a clearing, close to a heavily wooded area. Harry set off toward the forest, Hermione close behind. They quickly pitched the tent and set the protective charms around the radius of their camp.

"Mione, I'm going to go look for some sort of pond. Maybe we can catch a fish or two." Harry shouted to Hermione across the camp a few hours later.

Hermione, who had been attempting to find a book in her beaded handbag, looked up and dropped the bag in an instant. "Uh Harry…can I go with you?"

Harry who had begun to walk away, turned around quickly. "Really?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah?"

Harry imitated her shoulder shrug, "Sure…yeah…come on."

Hermione skipped across the camp they had set up, setting one last charm, to strengthen the invisibility of their site. She quickly caught up with Harry and linked arms with him. "I've wanted to go fishing since the first time you came back with that huge catfish."

Harry smirked at how excited she seemed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? You could have come all those other times!"

Hermione's lips turned into a thin line. "Well…you know with Ron and everything…"

Harry nodded, not needing the explanation. "I get it."

Hermione looked down at her feet, but was brought back to their situation at hand when Harry broke away from her and ran ahead a little ways. "Brilliant!" She heard him yell.

Hermione hurried forward, eager to see what had excited her best friend. "What is it Harry? What did you find?"

She gasped when she came up behind Harry. They were standing in front of a large pond, water sparkling, and every so often a fish would leap out of the water, landing back into the pond with a splash. "How did we get so lucky?" Hermione whispered.

Harry shook his head, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "I don't know. But I'm not going to complain."

They hurried side by side toward the edge of the pond. Harry showed Hermione some spells for catching the fish, and then they both set to work catching as many fish as they could manage. It was like the fish were multiplying. Every one they caught, more would pop out of the pond, almost like they were asking to be caught. Once the duo had caught as many fish as they could carry, they headed back toward their tent, happy with what they had accomplished.

Harry had an extra bounce in his step as he created a smoke-less fire with his wand as he set to start cooking the fish. Hermione giggled at the foolish expression that was planted on his face. Harry looked up at her amused. "What's so funny Granger?"

Hermione grinned widely. "You just look so happy."

Harry cocked his head to the side. "Well…I guess I am."

Hermione walked toward him slowly and sat down next to him on the grassy ground. "Even though we're in the middle of a forest in Godric's Hollow, with no idea where we're going, no idea what we're doing, and down one person?"

Harry mock-glared at her. "Way to bring down my mood Mione!"

Hermione laughed again. "I'm just being realistic."

Harry groaned. "You're just being patronizing!"

"That's a big word Potter."

"Tell me about it. I've got more. Wanna test me?"

Hermione just stared at his amused face for a second before she burst out in laughter. "You are such a prat!"

Harry laughed as his focus went back to the task at hand. He finished cooking the fish and handed some to Hermione on a conjured plate. "Stop yapping and eat fish!"

Hermione opened her mouth wide to protest, but was cut off by Harry forcing the food into her mouth. She immediately spat it back out. "That was incredibly rude Harry!"

Harry looked back and forth between the fish she had spit out and her face. "And that was an incredible waste!"

Hermione shook her head, her eyes dancing with laughter, "You're utterly ridiculous."

Harry smiled cockily. "Thank you."

Hermione grinned back as she shifted closer to Harry on the grass. "You're welcome."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Once the sun set, Harry suggested they move into the tent just as a safety precaution. Hermione, who had loved the freedom she had felt that day, whined loudly. "Harry, I HATE the tent. It's too SMALL."

Harry gave her a warning look as he cleaned up the area they had eaten in. Everything vanished, and with a look of satisfaction, Harry climbed through the flaps in the tent. "Mione, you just have to trust me. We're safer inside."

Hermione heaved a great sigh. "I know. But I hate it."

Harry flopped down on his cot. "Do you think I enjoy being cooped up in here all day?"

Hermione flopped down next to him on his bed, earning a surprised look from the young man. "What? You think I'm going to talk to you all the way over there?" Hermione asked as she gestured across the tent towards her own cot.

Harry shrugged. "Just don't fall asleep. I don't want a repeat of last night."

Hermione groaned. "Don't start Harry. I won't fall asleep."

Harry nodded happily. "If you do, I'll just pinch you."

Hermione gasped. "You will do no such thing Harry!"

"Want to test me?" Harry raised his eyebrows.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So, Master of the Horcrux Hunt…"

Harry snorted. "How clever…"

Hermione continued shooting Harry a glare. "What in the world are we doing in Godric's Hollow?"

Harry knew she would ask this sometime. "I'm not sure. But something about it just won't leave my mind."

Hermione stared at Harry intently. "You mean your parent's graves."

Harry's eyes darted toward her in an instant. He started lamely, "Well…I don't suppose that's the WHOLE reason…"

Hermione placed a hand on his cheek, leaning in closer. "It's okay Harry. You don't have to be embarrassed about it."

Harry let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm not embarrassed Mione…I'm just…"

Hermione turned his head to look her straight in the eye. They were just as close as they had been the night before. Harry could feel his heart beat increase just as quickly as it had before. Hermione felt her stomach drop at the look Harry was giving her. It was so full of…fear. The mood had suddenly changed from silly, to downright serious. Hermione gave him an encouraging nod, and he started to whisper.

"I'm scared to see the graves. But there's a part of me that just…that just NEEDS to see them. It's like, if I don't do that, I'm not going to be able to do anything else. It feels almost…necessary." Harry finished, his voice barely a whisper.

Hermione felt her heart break at his sincerity. She suddenly felt the emotional weight that she knew Harry had felt his entire life. "Harry," She began, her voice also just barely a whisper, "You need to go see them. You have to."

Harry nodded, his eyes filled with tears, "Thanks Mione. I'm not sure why I just told you all that…"

Hermione let out a strangled laugh as she reached out to hug him. "You don't have to be ashamed to tell me anything Harry. I'm not…I'm not Ron."

Harry lifted his head and his eyes connected once again with Hermione, a look of understanding passing between them once again. Hermione's heart beat seemed to quicken as she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. As she pulled back, she let out a gasp of surprise as Harry pulled her back to him again. She felt his warm lips land lightly on the corner of her mouth, lingering a little longer than her short peck. As he pulled away, she noticed his eyes seemed to be glazed over, and she felt her cheeks blush pink. The air around them seemed to crackle with intensity. They gazed at each other, each of them not wanting to break the spell that seemed to be holding them together.

Wordlessly, Hermione stood up, her fingers still linked with Harry's. "Um…I'll take…uh I'll take first watch," she stuttered as their fingers slowly untangled and she left Harry lying on the cot, wondering what the HELL had just happened.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I couldn't help myself! I had to write another chapter! All of Deathly Hallows is so fresh in my mind, that I just keep getting hit with inspiration! A lot of this never happened in the book, so keep that in mind. I'm not going to add in a lot of action. Maybe a few scenes here or there, but I'm not too good at writing a large scene with a lot happening! That's why this story won't follow the timeline of Deathly Hallows. But it may include some similarities.

Just keep that in mind!

Read and review as you like!


	3. Dangerous Graves

Harry could hear Hermione bustling around the tent, and from the cold draft that was blowing across the tent, he could tell that she was ready to tear down the tent at any given moment, and was probably already getting rid of the magical wards surrounding them. He lifted his head from his pillow and peered around in the semi-darkness.

"Mione?" He managed to croak out in a slumber-filled voice.

Hermione's head poked inside through the tent flap. She looked a bit irritated at being interrupted. "Yes Harry?"

Harry raised himself up into a sitting position on his cot and rubbed his eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Harry squinted. "I dunno. Why don't you just tell me so that I don't have to get my glasses?"

He heard Hermione let out a frustrated squeak before she answered, "Do you live to make my life difficult Potter?"

Harry smirked. He had figured what he had said would result in an annoyed Hermione. That was why he had done it. There was nothing more amusing to him than an annoyed and irritated Hermione.

"Maybe." He answered before flashing her an irresistibly charming smile.

As soon as Harry's lips had turn upward into that wonderful smile of his, Hermione couldn't help but relent to his madness. She shook her head, smiling ruefully. "Sometimes I can't stand you Harry Potter."

Harry stood up and shrunk his cot with a flick of his wand. He threw on the clothes laying next to him over his boxer shorts and t-shirt. Hermione's eyes flickered away in embarrassment. She still hadn't gotten used to seeing Harry half dressed. Harry walked towards her, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I can _always_ stand you Hermione." Harry whispered in her ear before quietly slipping out of the tent.

Hermione closed her eyes and silently cursed Harry and his charming ways. He was so oblivious to what he did to girls without meaning to. In fact, Hermione was quite upset with herself for letting him get to her. She was in best friend. She wasn't supposed to think of Harry as a boy. She was just supposed to think of him as her friend. She shook her head firmly as the image of the night before leaked into her thoughts. She did NOT need to be thinking about that right now. They had bigger things to deal with today. Like the inevitable trip to the Potter's gravestones.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Harry chuckled to himself as he set off to disassemble the protective charms around the tent. He didn't know why he was having such a good time all of a sudden. It was just a day or two ago that he had felt the most depressed in his entire life. What with Ron gone, and his confusing feelings about his parent's graves…nothing good was happening in his life right now.

He heard Hermione mumbling choice curse words under her breath as she fumbled through her handbag, seemingly looking for something important. Her face was red from the cold wind, and her eyes were narrowed in irritation. It was then Harry remembered.

He was happy because of Hermione.

She had succeeded in cheering him up. It seemed that she had distracted him so much from everything bad in their lives that he had even begun to BELIEVE that he was happy. When Harry thought about it, maybe he wasn't just faking his happiness. He really wasn't as depressed as he once had been. And he owed it all to his best friend.

His best friend that was looking increasingly prettier every day.

Harry's eyes widened as he caught himself thinking the very thing that he had been pushing to the back of his mind for the past few days.

Not good to start that train of thought now. Not good at all.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Ready to go?" Harry asked Hermione as she finished stuffing the shrunken tent into her bag.

She looked up quickly and gave an affirmative nod. "Just a sec…did you take down all the charms?"

Harry nodded.

"Clean up the fire and left over food?"

Harry nodded again.

Hermione opened her mouth to ask another question but was cut off by Harry before she could speak.

"I think we're fine Mione."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "Just trying to make sure we don't get ourselves killed…"

Harry snorted. "Well it's not like going to see my parent's graves is going to be safe. It's actually a really dumb move…"

Hermione glanced toward Harry, her severe expression softening slightly. "Harry, don't try to brush over this quickly. I don't care how dangerous it is. We have to do this. YOU have to do this."

Harry knew better than to try to convince Hermione against something her mind was already set on. He let out a heavy sigh and turned to lead the way down the path that he hoped would lead straight to the cemetery. Hermione gave one last look around the now barren campsite before setting off after Harry, a frown slightly gracing her features as she stared at the hunched shoulders of the young man in front of her.

Harry turned around when a small hand gripped his shoulder. He came face to face with Hermione, who looked a bit worried. "Shouldn't we be under the cloak?"

Harry mentally kicked himself. Of course…it was a miracle that a dozen Death Eaters hadn't swooped out of thin air and captured them. They were both vulnerable out in the open. He took out the invisibility cloak from his coat pocket and wrapped it around himself, reaching out to grab Hermione's hand, pulling her in close next to himself.

Hermione smiled as she felt him squeeze her hand gently. It was his silent thank-you that she had become accustomed to receiving. She instinctively moved closer to him and squeezed his hand gently back.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The couple that was huddled under the cloak came over the crest of the big hill they had been climbing, and the cemetery they had been searching for came into view. Hermione felt Harry tense beside her. Their hands were still intertwined, and she gripped his a bit tighter, trying to convey a sense of strength for both of them. Harry looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "We should probably stay under the cloak. Wouldn't want to be spotted…you know…"

Hermione nodded, touched that he felt confident in showing her his parent's graves. "Okay…lead the way…"

The two set off through the dozens of headstones, pausing every once in awhile to take a closer look at the inscriptions on the stones. Hermione's nose felt cold as the wind picking up was filled with a bitter chill. She shivered and Harry let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, grateful for the warmth. Suddenly, Harry stopped walking abruptly. He leaned closer to the stone in front of him, his dark green eyes darting across the worlds engraved on the front.

"This is it." He said in a quiet voice, just managing to make it to Hermione's ears in the heavy wind. Hermione took a small step back, just far enough away to stay covered, but to attempt to give Harry some privacy.

Harry felt Hermione pull away, but for some reason, pulled her back to him. He needed her now more than ever before. It was strange, considering he had always imagined this moment as a solitary time. A time where he could be alone and try to grasp a single memory of his parents. But now that he was faced with the reality, his arm snapped out behind him, grabbing her hand again, pulling her back to him.

Hermione let out a small gasp, but let herself be pulled back. She knelt close to Harry, staring at the names etched into the stone. The reality that his parents would never see him, never meet his friends, never be able to talk to him suddenly hit her, and tears began to stream down her face. She stared at Harry, who was staring at the names, his face stonily still. Suddenly, his head dropped, his chin resting on his chest, his eyes closed tightly. Hermione touched his shoulder, and could feel him shaking slightly.

"Harry?" She questioned quietly.

Harry let out a deep gasping breath, and opened his eyes, staring deep into Hermione's brown ones. Hermione tried to keep herself from letting more tears fall when she realized how hard Harry was trying to control his. His eyes seemed watery, and red rimmed. He swallowed hard, and looked back at the gravestone. Hermione moved closer and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly to her.

Harry felt himself break at the first physical contact. He buried his head in the crook of Hermione's neck and let the tears come streaming down his face. Hermione clutched at his back, attempting to pull him even closer. The tears came for some time, and they stayed in the kneeling position staring at the grave for a long time.

Finally, Harry stood up, bringing Hermione with him. He grabbed her hand, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He stared down at her tear-stained face. "Thank you." He whispered.

Hermione nodded almost imperceptibly. Without anymore words, the two turned around and headed back up the hill.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Halfway up the hill, Hermione opened her mouth to ask Harry a question. "Why did you want me right next to you?"

Harry looked at her, confused. "Huh?"

"I was all prepared to give you space, but you didn't let me."

Harry scratched the back of his neck, stopping his quick pace to look down at Hermione. "I don't know."

Hermione shrugged. "Alright…I was just wondering…" She took a few steps towards the top of the hill, but was stopped when she realized Harry wasn't following, resulting in her leg stretching out from the cloak, becoming visible again. She quickly pulled it back in again, looking back toward Harry.

She opened her mouth to tell him to hurry up, but was silenced by the sight she saw behind his still form. A black hooded figure was speeding right towards where they were standing. Her words turned into a silent scream as she realized they had been spotted.

Harry whirled around as he noticed Hemione's horrified face. "Shit," he muttered as he pushed Hermione to the ground, landing on top of her. Hermione's mouth opened and closed silently, ready to let out a deathly scream.

Harry reached out and covered her mouth with his hand, as the hooded figure swooped over them, almost touching the edge of the cloak. "Death Eater," He mouthed to Hermione's shocked face. She nodded, and suddenly a look of determination came over her features. Harry nodded back, and grabbed her waist, rolling them down the hill, careful to stay covered with the cloak. They ended up behind a tall gravestone, huddled together, eyes toward the sky searching for the intruder.

The Death Eater came soaring back over the hill, shooting curses at random places, hoping to find the kids under the cloak at random. Hermione gasped as a shot of red light landed just the right of her, exploding the stone. Harry once again grabbed her and crawled toward another stone, covering her shaking body with his, eyes still alert for the Death Eater. He craned his neck around, searching for any sign that the black-cloaked figure was still circling. He just made out a flapping black robe disappearing over the circle of trees that surrounded the cemetery. He realized he was gripping Hermione so tightly she might not be able to breathe.

He let go slowly, still maintaining a tight hold on her, before whispering in her ear, "He's gone for now. Probably went to get help."

Hermione let out a small sob as she wiped her eyes viciously with her free hand, the other one wrapped around Harry's waist. "Let's go…I don't even care if they see us…I have to get out of here…" She cried into his chest.

Harry felt his heart ache at the sight of Hermione crying. It brought back the pain of just a few days ago when Ron had left. _Ron._ Just thinking about that name brought a cold black rage into Harry's soul. If Ron had been there…he didn't even want to think about it. Wordlessly Harry helped Hermione into a standing position, before grabbing her hand and taking off over the hill. They ran as fast as they possibly could, only stopping when Hermione tripped over a tree root, causing Harry to slow down.

Hermione stared up at Harry after she stood up. "Why are we running?"

Harry felt an unexplained annoyance. "Why do you think Hermione? So that we don't get killed!"

Hermione shook her head, her face pale and her eyes wild. "Why don't we just disapparate?"

Harry stared at her, eyes wide, mouth open. Of course. "What is WRONG with me…" He muttered to himself. He wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and disapparated to the first safe place that came to mind.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione felt Harry land on the ground first, as she landed next to him a split second later. She looked around confused. They were standing in the middle of a street filled with house next to house next to house. Almost no trees were present, and everything looked as though it was exactly the same. Suddenly it clicked…this was the Dursley's street.

Harry looked around in shock. Everything was so normal here. Nothing had been touched by evil. And here he was, intruding on all of that. A wizard in a muggle neighborhood was so…odd. He realized that Hermione was shivering next to him. He thought back to the huge ordeal they had just been through and did the first thing that came to mind.

Hermione felt herself being wrapped up by two strong arms, realizing with comfort that it was Harry. He hugged her so tightly; she foolishly thought that if she never left the embrace she would be safe forever. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back just as fiercely.

"I'm so sorry…" Harry whispered into her hair.

"Sorry for what?" She mumbled back into his chest.

"For putting you in danger."

Hermione squeezed him tighter. "Don't start with me Harry Potter."

Harry chuckled softly. "Fine. I won't."

"Good."

They continued to hold each other for a few minutes before Harry realized they were still out in the open, invisible or not. "We better set up camp somewhere. I know there's a small forest a few minutes from here."

Hermione nodded and was tentative to let go of him. Harry seemed to feel the same way, and kept an arm around her shoulders, before starting to walk down the quiet street. Hermione smiled to herself as she kept her arm wrapped around his waist, keeping up with his pace toward the forest. She didn't know what they were doing in a muggle neighborhood. She didn't even know if Harry knew why they were. And she was still confused on how the Death Eater had known they were in the cemetery to begin with. And of course, the horcruxes were still on both of their minds…

Hermione wanted answers. But she knew better than to ask them now. They could all wait for tomorrow…

……………………………………………………………………………………………

So there you go.

Another chapter.

Sorry it took me so long!

Read and review as you like!!!


	4. Unspoken Thoughts

It was late, and Harry couldn't sleep. He lay in the familiar tent, listening to Hermione toss and turn in her cot across the tent. Apparently she couldn't sleep either. He let out a deep sigh, rolling over to his back, staring up at the plain canvas top of the tent. Too much had happened, too much was on his mind for him to fall asleep now. He wouldn't be surprised if he was up the entire night. He knew he needed to think things over…the Death Eater, why he had apparated to Privet Drive, and Hermione…

He shook his head violently. He really needed to STOP thinking about Hermione. Whenever he did, he felt this constricting feeling in his chest…he knew he was overprotective, but now he knew he would be just that much more. What had happened in the cemetery had scared him. That much he was sure of. He wasn't so much scared for himself, but more for his best friend. Which seemed a little odd to Harry, but with another swift shake of his head, he dispelled all thoughts of the young witch that seemed to be constantly on his mind.

"Harry?" a soft voice called out, breaking him out of his thoughts. Or, if possible, bringing him that much deeper into this thoughts, considering it was Hermione who had called out is name.

"Yeah?" he answered.

Harry heard Hermione shift her body so that she was facing him. He heard the swish of her wand, and suddenly a soft blue light was resting in the middle of the tent, giving off just enough light so that he could see Hermione's face bathed in shadows.

"Harry…I'm scared." Hermione murmured, and Harry could see her close her eyes tightly, a slight blush gracing her features.

He wasn't sure how to answer. So he decided it would be most simple to just tell the truth. "Me too."

Hermione's eyes flew open and her piercing gaze searched Harry's face for a minute. "You're serious?"

Harry nodded and burrowed even deeper under the covers.

"But…why? You were so in control. You knew exactly what to do. You…you saved my life Harry." Hermione said in a voice just above a whisper.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You would have done the same thing."

Hermione looked up towards the ceiling, seemingly in thought. "No. I wouldn't have."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Well thanks a lot Hermione…"

Hermione blushed a deeper red this time, as her eyes connected with Harry's again. "That's not what I meant. I mean…I'm not capable enough to save your life. You saw me. I just froze. If it hadn't been for you there to grab me and roll down the hill, we would have been dead. I wouldn't be able to save your life Harry…that's what scares me the most."

Harry looked at her, compassion filling his facial features. "Don't be ridiculous. When I told you it was a Death Eater, you got the most determined look in your eyes. It was actually really cool. I knew you were going to be okay, because you had the will to escape. Don't doubt yourself Mione."

Hermione shrugged, obviously not convinced. "I know I have the will to live, but it scares me that it took me that long to react."

Harry nodded in understanding. The two were quiet for a few minutes, before Hermione spoke. "What scared you tonight?"

"Huh?" Harry asked, caught off by the question.

Hermione stared at him unflinchingly. "What scared you the most? I told you my inability to react scared me…what about you?"

Harry pursed his lips, thinking about how to answer the question. It would get a little awkward if he told the truth. But if he lied, he knew Hermione would figure it out. With a great sigh of trepidation, Harry opened his mouth and whispered, "What scared me the most was that for a split second, I thought you were going to die."

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Harry, we were BOTH about to die…"

Harry shook his head. "I know, I know. I don't know why, but I wasn't scared that I was in danger…my whole brain was screaming to just protect you. I didn't even think about the horcruxes, or the prophecy, or even Voldemort…I just thought…about… you?" Harry finished his voice sounding incredulous as if he had just made an enormous discovery.

Hermione stared at Harry wide-eyed. She herself was astounded by this revelation of Harry's. "Harry…are you sure?"

Harry nodded, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Yeah…I am."

Hermione leaned back on her cot, still staring across the tent in disbelief. "So…that's…erm…odd?"

Harry let out a half chuckle half snort. "Tell me about it."

Hermione giggled in spite of herself. "So should we…uh…just forget you said that?"

Harry's head snapped up to meet her eyes. "How can I forget that?"

Hermione blushed as she looked everywhere around the tent except for Harry. "Um, I'm not sure."

Harry let out a short laugh. "Hermione…did you just hear what I said? There was a Death Eater swooping out of nowhere, which by the way, I still have no idea how he knew we were there…the entire horcrux search was in jeopardy and all I could think about was making sure that you were okay…does that seem just a little off to you?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes in the soft light of the tent and glared at Harry. "Well, I was going to thank you for saving my life, but if it was 'a little off' to you, then I guess I'll save it."

Harry closed his eyes briefly. "That's not what I meant Hermione."

"Then what did you mean Harry?" Hermione demanded, suddenly sitting up on her cot.

Harry sat up with her, anger beginning to rise deep in him. "Don't talk to me like that Hermione. You KNOW what I meant."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down. "No. I don't."

Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "I consider it very strange that all I could think about was you when I was about to die. Don't you think you would feel the same way if it happened to you?"

Hermione's expression didn't soften. "Yes Harry. I understand that I was WEIRD. But did it ever occur to you that maybe it DID happen to me?"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked impatiently.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she stood up and walked halfway across the tent, her hands resting on her hips, her body language expressing confrontation to the fullest. "You know what I'm talking about."

Harry stood up to meet her eye to eye and crossed his arms. "No. I don't."

Hermione rolled her eyes again at the repetitive nature of this argument. "It never occurred to you that maybe I felt the same way as you did when we were discovered?"

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hermione sighed and dropped her arms in defeat. "Never mind Harry. I'm going to bed."

Harry felt his irritation rise to a new level. He reached out and grabbed her wrist pulling her closer to him, intent on getting an answer from her. "Tell me Hermione."

Hermione glared at Harry as he pulled her back, so that they were mere inches from each other. "You can't make me Harry Potter."

Harry felt his eyes narrow, and his grip on her wrist tighten. "Oh yeah?"

Hermione gave him a haughty grin. "Yeah. I'm not telling you. If you can't figure it out, then it's your own fault."

Harry wanted nothing more than to force Hermione to tell him what she had meant, but the more rational part of him told him to relax. He suddenly remembered that this was the girl who had been on his mind when he was faced with danger. And now he was the one who was providing the danger. It was time for him to save her again. From himself.

He let go of her wrist and dropped his head to his chest in defeat as he murmured, "I'm sorry."

Hermione felt her guard breaking down at the look on Harry's face. She mustered up all her pride as she stiffly said, "Quite alright. Goodnight Harry."

She turned to go back to her cot as Harry did for his. They both were troubled with what had just happened. Not a lot of information had been shared, yet both of them felt like they had just discovered treasure. There had been sparks between them. Sure they were angry sparks, and irritated sparks, but they had felt them nonetheless.

Hermione felt the sudden urge to cry. There was no reason for them to be fighting like this. If she could even call it a fight. They were all each other had, and if something was coming between them, it was only going to get harder and harder with each passing day.

Harry felt all of his muscles clench up. Nothing had been solved tonight. The only thing he had succeeded in doing, was upsetting Hermione. He never should have told her what had been on his mind. It only made things that much more confusing. He shifted on his cot and suddenly remembered the blue light was still glowing in the middle of the tent. He grabbed his wand and rolled over to extinguish the light.

"Wait."

Harry stopped as he heard the soft voice from across the tent. Hermione turned and Harry was suddenly met with red puffy eyes. She looked like she had been crying.

Hermione sucked in a deep breath before beginning to speak. "Listen Harry. The reason why the Death Eater came after us was because my leg stuck out of the cloak for a second on the hill. It was by accident…"

Harry shook his head in confusion. "But that doesn't explain why the Death Eater was that close by. They must have been watching us the whole time."

Hermione frowned. "I never thought about that…"

Harry gave her a half smile. "Well, don't worry about it. We have a lot of days to ponder the reasons why we were almost killed today."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but her mouth twitched upwards into a tiny smile. Her face became serious again within a second though and she looked as if she wanted to say something. Harry noticed.

"What is it Mione?"

Hermione looked down at the ground. "Are we having another fight Harry?"

Harry didn't know how to answer, but Hermione didn't give him time to as she began to speak again. "Because I don't know what just happened a few minutes ago…but I don't like the way we left things. I'm sorry for being so rude Harry. I'm making things more difficult than they should be. I don't even know what we were arguing about before…"

"We were arguing about what we felt like while we were being attacked." Harry answered quickly.

Hermione bit her lip. "Oh yeah…"

Harry heaved a huge sigh. "Don't worry about it Hermione. Both of us are under a lot of stress. Just forget it ever happened."

Hermione stared across the tent for a long time. Finally she whispered, "All I could think of was you Harry. When the Death Eater was coming after us, all I could do was worry about whether you would survive. That's why I froze. I didn't know what to do. It's so much more important for you to live than for me to live. I was so scared Harry. Scared for YOU. That's what I was saying before…I DO know how you felt."

Harry blinked. And blinked again. "WHAT?"

Hermione shrugged. "That's what I've been wanting to say all night. You just made me too damn angry to give in and actually say it."

Harry smiled slowly. "Thanks for finally saying it I guess. And sorry for being such an idiot…"

Hermione smiled back. "It's okay. Let's consider the argument forgotten."

Harry nodded. "Why were you so concerned about me?

Hermione groaned. "I don't KNOW Harry. Just like you. Which by the way, the next time we're attacked, I'm really flattered that all you could think about was me…but please focus on yourself next time."

Harry shook his head violently. "I would never be able to think about myself exclusively. That would be horrible."

Hermione sighed. "Fine…but at least TRY to."

Harry rolled his eyes. "We're arguing about saving each other."

Hermione laughed and shrugged again.

The duo stared across the softly lit tent at each other. The atmosphere wasn't tense anymore. They could both feel their friendship again.

Harry looked at Hermione thoughtfully from across the tent. "So…we were both preoccupied with saving each other…and didn't even think about ourselves. That's very strange…"

Hermione nodded sleepily. "Very strange indeed…"

……………………………………………………………………………………………

WELLLLLL there you go! Kind of overly dramatic, but hey…at least we're getting somewhere in the romance department.

Read and review as you like!!


End file.
